Treatment of the Dead

- By Melvin Polatnick

I stood before the grave of my dear departed friend, and looked at the tombstone, memories of good years gone by floated through my mind. Not all the memories were happy ones, but they became alive as I looked down at the earth. My experience was uplifting, and I was glad I visited the cemetery.

A cemetery is a sacred place, and it is open not only for burial, but also for visits. People are buried there by their loved ones, so they should not be forgotten. Bones in a cemetery bring back memories of living years; those living years are remembered by those that care. The value of a human being might be weighed in the way their body is treated after they are gone, being disposed of in an unmarked grave might state something about the dead and their relationships to others. I loved my departed that is why the dead body was not ignored, and it received a dignified burial.

A bone-yard is a place where human bones are buried; the bones come in all sizes and shapes. People who think human bones should be thrown into a garbage dump go there to dispose of their waste. The graves are unmarked, and whatever is buried there is soon forgotten. Animal as well as human bones fill the ground, and only an expert can tell what they are. Mixed with the bones are all sort of waste, and some would call it a garbage dump rather than a bone-yard. Few would call it a cemetery.

A bone-yard has its place in the world, not everybody deserves to be positively remembered. They were cruel to others, and never tried to be helpful. Why waste the expensive grounds of a modern cemetery with remains gladly forgotten? A cemetery is a place where good memories live and those graves will always be visited. The bone-yard and the garbage dump are twins; they both never get a visit except to dispose of waste. For those of us that want to be remembered after we are dead, now is the time to do good deeds, and live a life without harming others. People will remember the way we lived and those memories will last even after we are gone. If we are selfish and hurt others, the decay of the bone-yard or a garbage dump will be waiting.